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Nutritional Intervention to Enhance Recovery After Arthroscopic Knee Surgery in Adults

NCT06233825 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2025-11-20

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Loss of skeletal muscle mass (atrophy) and strength in the lower limb are consequences of elective knee surgery as result of prolonged disuse from limb immobilization and impaired mobility, as well as pathophysiological trauma. The highest rates of skeletal muscle mass and strength loss occur during the 2-week post-surgery period, considered the early phase of outpatient recovery. Alternative to resistance exercise and pharmacology, nutritional intervention represents one strategy to combat skeletal muscle disuse atrophy.

Essential amino acids (EAA) and omega-3 fatty acids are known to independently potentiate rates of skeletal muscle protein synthesis and attenuate skeletal muscle atrophy in humans. However, the combined actions these nutritional strategies on skeletal muscle have not been explored in a pathophysiological context, such as surgery. With the ultimate goal to test the efficacy of the combined nutritional strategy to attenuate skeletal muscle disuse atrophy in the future, the aim of this present pilot study is to explore the feasibility of recruitment and retention of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) outpatients from a single centre across 18 months for a 6-week nutritional intervention. Participants will consume either an intervention of omega-3 fatty acids and EAAs, or a placebo control of safflower oil and non-essential amino acids (NEAA), for 4 weeks before and 2 weeks after elective ACLR surgery. Furthermore, this pilot will characterize secondary outcomes of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and power, and integrated rates of muscle protein synthesis, as well as report participant adherence to protocols and incidence of adverse events.

Conditions

  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
  • Muscular Atrophy

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Essential Amino Acids

Oil consumed as capsules. EAA come as powder to be mixed with water before drinking. 4 g of leucine per EAA dose.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Safflower Oil and Non-Essential Amino Acids

Oil consumed as capsules. NEAA are isonitrogenous to intervention condition. Both supplement types are isoenergetic to intervention. NEAA come as powder to be mixed with water before drinking.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Dr. Chris McGlory, PhD

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Chris McGlory, PhD · Queen's University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-02-01
Primary Completion
2025-08-01
Completion
2025-10-14

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06233825 on ClinicalTrials.gov